gluten-free breakfast

“What you making, Mama?” she asked me as she stood next to me at the counter.

“Scrambled eggs, love. And mushrooms.”

“Mmmm. That’s delicious!” she said.

Add some warm quinoa, a touch of goat cheese, and some of the salmon Danny cured a couple of days before? The three of us at the table?

That was a good breakfast.

We’re big on breakfast around here.

Admittedly, we have a different schedule than most folks, so breakfast can be slow. Together, we play for awhile after waking: a little Sesame Street, some riding on the tricycle, Ladybug Girl books, playdough, painting. Lu has a snack immediately, since she wakes up hungry. We savor our cups of hot coffee. And then it’s time to start cooking.

Lately, Lu has been crazy for Bread and Jam for Francis. We can’t seem to read it enough times in the day. She always looks a little confused, however, when Francis turns down all the lovely eggs her mother makes her. Me too. If I sit down for a meal, and there’s an egg on top of it, I’m grinning.

(By the way, it is becoming increasingly clear that eggs have been mightily misunderstood for years. Those egg-white omelets just aren’t necessary. The cholesterol in eggs doesn’t translate into high human cholesterol. It was always an assumption, never proven. Our doctor told us — eat as many eggs as you want. And we do.)

On mornings when we find the refrigerator nearly bursting with bits of interesting foods  roasted vegetables, nubs of Parmesan cheese, a sigh of the last of the salami  we throw it all together into a frittata. You can’t go wrong with a frittata.

I love thick yogurt  preferably homemade, but I have no problem with the store-bought ones without a hundred ingredients  mixed with maple syrup and fruit. I’m longing for the berries in that photo (will summer ever come around here?) but the rhubarb compote I made a couple of evenings ago works fine too.

(Dice up the rhubarb. Add lemon zest, a small handful of muscovado sugar, a quick grating of nutmeg, some white wine like Muscadet, and simmer it in a skillet on low heat until it has softened and slumped into itself without becoming mush. Refrigerate it. Spoon it over yogurt in the morning.)

A little homemade granola and I’m golden.

In another week or two, the radishes that are muscling their shoulders out of the dirt in our garden will be ready for picking.

Breakfast that morning will be thin slivers of radishes, a smear of butter, a smattering of salt, and slices of gluten-free baguettes.

That’s all I will need.

And so it goes in our kitchen each morning. Is it an eggs day? Danny dices up leftover roasted sweet potatoes, adds curlicues of prosciutto, and poaches eggs. Yogurt and cereal? Lu always loves that. Maybe I’ve soaked gluten-free oats in buttermilk and cinnamon overnight, then cooked them up in the rice cooker so they are waiting for us before it’s time for Lu’s morning at school. Some days, it’s leftover cold pizza from the previous night’s experimenting on the dough.

On the weekends, we let Lu decide what we’re eating. Right now, she has one, definitive choice: “Waffles!”

There’s no gluten in this house, even though Danny and Lu seem to be able to eat it.

There’s also no lack of good food.

I wrote this for those of you who write to me, anxiously asking: what can I eat for breakfast if I’m gluten-free? Plenty!

And there are plenty of other choices, too. Those of you reading, will you leave some of your favorite breakfast suggestions here? Let’s give the newbies the relief of knowing there will be plenty to eat.

I, too, am an egg fiend. I went through a time when I couldn’t stomach them, but since going gluten-free I embrace them with fervor. They are the perfect vehicle for just the bits you mentioned, waiting in the fridge for some inspiration. I do love the idea of the buttermilk-soaked granola, however. Can I move to your house?

Jennifer, interesting — before I went gluten-free, eggs made me violently ill. (Too bad, because I adore eggs.) Now, however, I can eat them and feel just fine! And, if you’re moving in with Shauna, pick me up on the way… I want to eat breakfast there, too!

My breakfast is admittedly a little boring…but I usually have two apples with an outrageous amount of peanut butter! And it’s a delightful, fresh way to start my morning. Occasionally I’ll eat a couple slices of buttered brown rice bread with an apple and peanut butter to mix things up (kind of? one less apple!), or have GF coconut flour pancakes. I’m a simple girl, so my eats reflect that, I suppose!

I especially like Granny Smith apples with this — the sweet-tart combination with the nut butter is excellent. Also, almond butter is my favorite — and cashew butter is also good, if you can eat cashews. Hazelnut butter is very interesting — it tastes totally different to me on toast or on an apple slice. Very dry one way.

Apple-raspberry crisp with gf oats and cinnamon mixed into both the apple mixture and the oat-crumb topping. With vanilla Mediterranean-style yoghurt from Liberte in Quebec. My absolute favourite breakfast, snack and dessert.

We thank you for your e-mail and your interest in Liberté’s products. In answer to your question, we cannot certify that our production plant is 100% free of gluten since some of our productions contain gluten ; however, here are some more information : the only Liberté products containing gluten are :

The following products contain glucose syrup originating from wheat but contains no gluten even if it originates from wheat. These products are : Our Mediterranee caramel yogurt called Dulce de Leche, our Mediterranee Coconut, our desert yogurt Coconut.

The ingredients used in our other yogurts do not contain any gluten.

Strict procedures are in place in order to assure that the production equipment used for our allergen products are cleaned very carefully to eliminate any contamination for our regular products. (These procedures are revised by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency).

Again we thank you for the interest towards Liberté and do not hesitate to contact us for further assistance.

I like breakfast quick and simple. Scrambled eggs with a little cheese wrapped in a corn tortilla. This also works as the classic fried egg sandwich, and a little slice of turkey nestled between the egg and cheese never hurt anyone! I also love to have a bit of cottage cheese and pair it with either a grapefruit, sauteed squash or low sodium tomato juice.

I love frittata! It’s so versatile. We have it for lunch a few times a week at the moment, it’s my new favourite! (I eat a lot of eggs, too, such a good protein source and easily absorbed — I have a deficiency).

I often run out of inspiration at breakfast so thank you for this post.

My body seems to bounce around with what it wants to tolerate — but on weekday mornings, where I eat either at work or in the car en route, lately I am eating yogurt (Brown Cow or Straus or Fage) with rhubarb compote and/or berries and/or GF granola (some combination thereof). I like to make a batch of muffins (such as your GF rhubarb muffins — so freaking good and at least close to whole grain) and freeze them and reheat. If I leave myself time at home, I’m loving a corn tortilla with an egg and a bit of cheese (see 101cookbooks.com for the technique).

If you are not awake enough to work kitchen equipment or a knife in the mornings… eggs for dinner. I do Breakfast for Dinner at least once a week.

One thing that seems hard when you first go off gluten is finding a quick & easy option. For me… that is kefir. I buy a bottle of it every week, stash it in the fridge at work, and on a morning where I need a quick breakfast, I pour a cup of that, glup it down and breakfast is done in about three minutes total. Might also grab an apple or some grapes if I want a mid-morning snack.

Breakfast around our house can range from leisurely to frantic. But breakfast is always served and eaten before the whirlwind of the day begins. Our family loves eggs too, scrambled with greens, fried with a bit of no nitrate, no nitrite bacon, or shredded smoked salmon, or poached in green salsa, or … Eggs are our friend too. They just stick with our active family in a way that no carbohydrate rich breakfast can. But we love our carbs too. so waffles, muffins, biscuits, pancakes can all accompany the eggs. Or we go for fried rice to use up the leftovers from dinner. Or heck we even end up eating dinner for breakfast. I love a bit of rare cold leftover steak with mustard. Whatever will actually be eaten in the time we have is good, as long as it has some protein.

Green moong dosa (“Pesarattu”) is a delicious and nutritious option. It probably fits brunch more than breakfast but it’s yummy, nonetheless! Soak 1–2 cups of whole green moong with a handful of white/brown rice in water for 3–4 hours. Grind with fresh ginger, cumin seeds and one green chilly. Make sure the batter is ground to spreadable consistency.

Warm a griddle. When hot, spread the batter into round dosas. Pour some oil around the edges. As they crisp up, turn it over, let the other side cook. When done, take off the griddle. You can make it as crispy as you (or Danny and Lu) like. Serve piping hot with condiment on choice. Coconut-cilantro chutney, plain jaggery, tomato ketchup, fruit butter… anything! Enjoy…

I’m on an omelet kick lately — mushrooms, spinach, 2 eggs, milk, low-sodium mozzarella cheese, and grape tomatoes sliced in half. Sometimes I might pair that with some toast (Udi’s or made from Bob’s mix or sometimes scratch) or a banana chocolate chip muffin.

When it needs to be quicker, it’s Bakery on Main Triple Berry Granola or another GF cereal (like Gorilla Munch or Chex, although those are definitely the less healthy/fiber-rich choices). I have some recipes to try for homemade granola which I think will be delicious.

I’ve been on the egg kick too — only my eggs stick in the pan because I hate teflon!

Just like you — eggs, mushrooms, sliced tomatoes, some kind of cheese — but I like adding other stuff to mix it up, like green pepper, a little cilantro, one of Mrs. Dash’s no-salt flavors (tequila lime or whatever it is called is amazing on eggs!) I’m following Weight Watchers so two eggs can look like a gourmet meal when you stuff them full of vegetables!

Hey Mary, I hate teflon too and I use cast iron exclusively in my kitchen. Lodge brand makes a small pan that is PERFECT for eggs, add a little olive oil (or Pam since you’re doing the WW’s thing) and voila, no sticking eggs! It’s revolutionized the kitchen and it never gets put away, ever

At the moment, I’m just into eggs over easy with toast. So simple and delicious, just can’t go wrong.

I make a fruit smoothie (OJ, frozen berries, and a spoonful of almond butter for protein). Every day and I never get tired of it, mainly because I can switch up the berries as I please. Quick and easy and I’m on my way out the door. On a morning when I have more time, I add to the Bisquick pancake mix. The other weekend it was orange zest, fresh grated ginger and molasses added into the mix, with butter and syrup on top. Amazing!

I’m not gf, but my breakfast usually is! To add to your list, I like my homemade granola and homemade yogurt stirred together the night before (a sort of bircher muesli, I suppose!). My homemade yogurt is a vehicle for everything — last summer’s frozen berries, a swirl of homemade walnut butter. Steel cut oats (the Kim Boyce method) are spectacular, but obviously require a little more time. I’m also a fan of savoury for breakfast (a la Mark Bittman). Leftover quinoa and vegetables, with the requisite egg on top. A runny yolk in the morning is a reason to get up any day!

Steel cut oats don’t need to be time consuming in the morning. If you soak the oats overnight, in the morning you can throw them in the microwave and they’re cooked in about 3 minutes! I usually put about 1/3 cup oats in a bowl, cover them with milk, add cinnamon and if I have it, a spoonful of pumpkin puree. Sometimes I’ll throw in some raisins as well. Leave it sit in the fridge overnight, and then in the morning pull them out and cook them in the microwave on high for 3 minutes. I don’t add any sugar because I find it tastes good without it, but you could always drizzle it with honey or sprinkle it with a bit of brown sugar after it’s cooked. Quick and good for you!

I’ve been cooking quinoa in milk for my breakfast. I top it with dark brown sugar and chopped pecans. So good. I also love to make waffles with a sweet white sauce like my mom would make when I was growing up. I found that using half sorghum flour/half sweet rice flour makes a really good thickener for white sauce.

I have a bit more difficulty with breakfast. I am off gluten, dairy and eggs. I have found some great alternatives like nut butter on rice cakes with some jam, preserves or fresh fruit. There are some great cereals out there that can be paired with Almond Milk. I also have re-discovered creamed corn.

Try whole grain teff for breakfast — it is wonderful! I made the Bob’s Red Mill recipe on the back of the package first, with dates and cloves and walnuts. Yum! Also good with diced dried figs or dried tart cherries.

I also make a breakfast cereal of half sweet brown rice, half Lundberg Wild Rice Blend. I rinse the grains in a strainer first, drain and then toast the rices until they move freely on the pan. Then I add the correct amount of boiling water, and cook for an hour. Keeps very well in the fridge, and a big bowl of this in the morning will keep me going for hours. I often add dried fruit, if I have some around. I made enough for four days or so.

As for eggs, they are cheap and excellent protein! I like fresh asparagus rolled in olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt, then broiled several minutes until it starts to wrinkle. Leftover steamed or roasted veggies of most kinds are wonderful in an omelet or frittata. Leftover veggies roasted in olive oil and mixed with leftover broiled salmon and placed in an omelet is divine!

I think that it is just a mind set that has to change, when learning how to eat differently. I am about the same age as you, Shauna, and we grew up on cereal, in the mornings… ya know? On the weekends, we had something a bit more elaborate. When we lived on the border of Mexico, I was intrigued at the amounts of protein that was served for breakfast. It was usually bits of meat left over from supper the night before, or maybe beans. If there wasn’t a lot of protein, then it would be “beefed up” with eggs. But there was a noticeable difference between those types of breakfasts and the carb laden (packed with sugar and gluten) breakfasts that I grew up on and how I felt afterward.

If you choose to eat gluten free, it might be a bit easier to consider the protein first (like you would when making dinner) rather than the carb. Bits of grilled meat, bacon, sausages, eggs, yogurt, etc. in addition to some veggies (leftover roasted veggies, tomatoes, spring baby arugula, etc.), and carbs that are gluten free (fruits, potatoes, and corn, etc.) …then have the occasional gf cereals, breads of pastries.

Although I am not strictly gluten-free, I do cook for a lot of people who are! I happily embrace every delicious gluten-free recipe that comes my way and try to come up with my own so that I can share them with the confused and overwhelmed people that cross my path… This morning I discovered a very simple breakfast that is going to be making a regular appearance during my mornings! Cooked Brown Teff, drizzled with maple syrup and dotted with butter… So easy and SO yummy!

Sorry, I don’t have too much patience for cooking in the morning, especially when it is only for me. Most mornings I have a smoothie — whatever frozen fruit I want, 2 eggs, fish oil, flax seed. Its yummy for me. Been doing this most days for the past 5 years. If I am on the go, I put a straw in the glass and go!

I’ve got celiac but also a ton of other food allergies to work with — and am now doing Weight Watchers — so my breakfast has a lot to contend with!

Cold weather cereal: gluten free oatmeal mixed with a half cup of pure applesauce — no butter, no milk, no sweetener! Or a mashed banana. Or cook it with a whole chopped apple in it. Plenty of nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, whatever you like.

Warm weather cereal: a quarter cup of Udi’s All Natural Granola and a cup of rice milk. Chop in a banana — a quarter cup of raisins — half a peach — whatever! Or mix the granola and fruit with plain goat or sheep yogurt.

Eggs: veggie omelets with whatever leftover veggies might be hanging around the frig… Or over-light on top of a rice cake… Or scrambled with any type of gluten free toast…

Odds and ends: chop half a leftover baked potato and fry in a little olive oil. Stir an egg over it and fry till solid. Mix a banana, yogurt or rice milk, and frozen berries in the blender with a little flax meal, sesame butter, etc. and some nutmeg. A gluten free muffin: zucchini, pumpkin, squash, cucumber, etc. — with a little all-fruit spread on top.

Probably the best thing for breakfast — and every other meal: look at the huge amount of foods you CAN have and DO enjoy, pick any one you feel like having at that moment, and enjoy it!

Luckily I can get some really great gluten free sausages, puddings & bread in my local market. Add some eggs & bacon and a pot of great coffee & it makes for a great weekend breakfast. One of the pluses for being gluten free in Ireland! Come & visit!!

Since my week days don’t allow for much of a sit down breakfast, I alternate between two main meals; – nut milk based smoothies with GF breakfast sausage – yogurt with rice flakes and chia seeds or gluten free granola and fruit

When I have a bit more time on my hands I like gluten free pancakes, birds nests on GF bread, hash browns, hard boiled eggs, GFdutch babies, and GF steel cut oatmeal (with fruit on the side of pretty much all of these!).

I love, love, love eggs too … used to be part of my daily diet. When I was diagnosed as coeliac I was also diagnosed with an egg allergy — now the slightest bit of egg and I’m so, so sick. Duck eggs worked for a while, but no more. This was almost harder than giving up the gluten — as I haven’t found a substitute for quiche or scrambled / poached eggs. But breakfasts can be good — bacon butties made with GF bread, of course are a weekend favourite, mushrooms on toast .…

I am up at 5 am and out the door by 6 so breakfast is usually something I can either eat in the car or at my desk once I get to the office. Yogurt with granola, scrambled eggs with chopped veggie and/or meat from last nights dinner wrapped in a warmed rice tortilla, baggie full of homemade nut mixes (some with diced dried fruit) or a protein shake made with juice seems to be my breakfasts of choice for hectic mornings. Weekend find me sautéing diced veggies and making frittatas or baking a yummy clafouti. Bacon and sausage find their way into our meals sometimes too.

Amaranth, fresh ginger, and a grated carrot cooked in coconut milk. Chantrelles and gluten-free toast! Toasted buckwheat (kasha) for a hot or cold cereal. Cheesy grits. Eggs and rice with whatever veggies we’ve got. Sometimes I make them with green onions and avocado slices, sometimes I make like bibimbap with sprouts, carrots, kimchi. We also love waffles. But usually we just have eggs.

I usually don’t want a lot for breakfast (and I don’t like to eat right after I wake up), so during the week I have a Lara bar at my workplace. On weekends, if I have time, I’ll have cereal (ranging from Barbara’s brand GF multigrain [contains oats] to a more hedonistic bowl of Cinnamon Chex). In the winter I love cream of rice cereal or a warm baked good. Fruit with peanut butter or cheese is a favorite too.

I love this comment! I’ve made most of the GF breakfast (or variation of) recently but, I agree, it’s hard to remember what I ate before… I actually wasn’t eating breakfast because it was so hard to function in the mornings! The pain, the exhaustion. Maybe what’s most important for newbies to learn, and all to remember, is how exciting food is really becoming for us. We can actually focus on the food and feel good because WE finally feel good. My family is amazed now when I tell them that I’ve eaten breakfast and lunch and haven’t taken any naps and that I still feel great!

I suppose my comment gives away that I am still somewhat of a newbie. One year in and still learning everyday.

My current favorite breakfast is steamed brown rice (made in the rice cooker) with craisins, cinnamon, agave syrup and vanilla coconut milk! It’s so easy and cooks while I shower. I love that! You could also add your favorite sliced or slivered nuts or a packet of unflavored gelatin for added protein.

I make my own granola. No two batches are ever the same. It is fun to throw different nuts, dried fruits, quinoa, GF oats, seeds together with maple syrup and some olive oil and bake to a golden perfection. Sometimes I add real vanilla or a squirt of molasses, sometimes a dash of cinnamon. The beauty of granola — there is no wrong ingredient combination. Other days it is yogurt (organic milk and active bacterial culture being the only ingredients listed) with fresh berries and a handful of my tamari roasted almonds on the side. Sundays are toast (my own bread or Udi’s in a pinch) with peanut butter and jam or honey and a latte. And I always, no matter what I have for breakfast, have a banana about an hour later. Never hurts to get some potassium in me!

My go-to breakfast is 1 to 1–1/2 cups fresh berries (and sometimes banana, too) mixed with one carton of vanilla coconut milk yogurt, a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg, and a rounded tablespoon each of hemp seeds, unsweetened shredded coconut, and chopped pecans (or walnuts). This feels light, but it keeps me going for quite a long while.

It might sound a bit strange but we have fallen in love with chickpea flour dosas/puda/tortilla. They are super easy, fast, cheap and you can add any flavouring like chopped green onion, cumin, thyme, basil, black pepper, etc. The batter can be made ahead and stored in the fridge. We make them fresh in the morning and they have replaced our bread altogether! They are so yummy with crisp edges and go well with scrambled eggs or an egg white omelette. I got the recipe at http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2007/01/18/besan-gram-flour-puda-dosa/ which has videos and recipes. Chickpea flour is also called chana, gram or besan flour. I know some don’t like it but we LOVE it! Give it a try. I make extra and take them with me for lunch to go with my soup. The same batter can be used to coat fish for a great crispy fish fry, or pakoras, or.….

I eat a fruit salad every morning but not straight away, I wait until I’m at work. The fruit varies each day, depending on what we have left but always includes a banana and an apple. I especially love to add brazil nuts, raisins, blueberries and fresh pineapple.

Breakfast is hands down my favorite meal of the day. You can get so creative at breakfast! We have our own chickens so we often have eggs in the morning with steamed greens, cooked quinoa, or a slice of gluten free bread and tomatoes from the garden in the summer. There’s nothing quite like a fresh egg from a happy hen. We almost never make scrambled eggs — there’s something about breaking the yolk in a fried, poached, or soft boiled egg that never ceases to delight my husband and me. When we do scrambles, I love adding mushrooms, smoked salmon, and asparagus. Heaven!

Growing up, long before I was GF, I never really gravitated to breakfast food. Maybe it was a innate sense that I felt better eating more protein and less carbs, or maybe it was that the carbs available were wheat-based. So breakfast growing up was often dinner leftovers.

These days, my breakfasts of choice are: Greek yogurt — would love to try to make my own GF granola to go with it, the store options are not very good in my opinion. I would say this is the 9 out of 10 times breakfast. Usually 0% Fage. Bob’s Red Mill Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal — This is my go-to replacement when I want a “cereal” and it is super yummy with butter and brown sugar on it. Pancakes — I don’t make them that often and when I do, I usually use the Pamela’s baking mix.

My latest addiction is poached eggs. I eat them every day. Most often they are placed on whatever veggies might be leftover from dinner. My favourite is on sauteed kale with fresh black pepper and crumbled feta. My second favourite is to poach them in tomato sauce. No bread or gluten required.

I miss eggs terribly — went off them a few years ago after discovering I am allergic. These days my breakfasts are either a sliced apple with peanut butter, hot rice cereal or oats with sliced almonds and dried fruit, cold cereal with walnuts and chunks of pear, or one of my favorite creations: a slice of gf bread, toasted, a thin smear of miso paste, and slices of avocado, topped with a sprinkle of kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. YUM. Also granola — if you’re sensitive to oats, there is a recipe for granola using rice & buckwheat flakes — I used quinoa flakes with great results: http://www.celiac.com/articles/619/1/Granola-Gluten-Free/Page1.html. These are all great ideas! Thanks Shauna for starting this.

I love eggs. Used to hate them. Used to not eat them. But now I buy only local eggs, and they’re divine. I like soft-boiled eggs on Elana Amsterdam’s toasted almond flour bread, maybe with a little sea salt and pepper.

We actually eat sauteed kale with breakfast a lot, since we grow it on our balcony. Sometimes I throw in potatoes, but not always.

GF steel-cut oats are also a big favorite around here. My kids and husband love them.

Sometimes I end up with just fruit and a [homemade] almond milk latte if the kids are up early and bouncing off the walls. I

It’s amazing how many books you mention on here that are also favorites in our house. The Frances books are always good for some lessons — and choking back hysterical laughter on my part. Our youngest sings all the time about everything like Frances does. I guess good books never go out of style, and are universally recognized as such.

Favorite breakfasts around here include baked oatmeal with fruit on top — warm or fresh depending on season, migas, puffed oven pancakes served either savory or sweet, pancakes, waffles, grits, smoothies, I could go on …

I meant to add that on hectic mornings when I don’t have time to fix a great breakfast for everyone, I get the kids to school and then enjoy Food For Life multi-seed gluten-free English muffins slathered with some melted butter and fig preserves with a cup of tea. Not the most balanced breakfast, but I love it so.

Radishes on bread are my favourite breakfast ever, but I need a lot of protein in the mornings so I have them with a slightly more than soft boiled egg and squidge the egg all over the top of the radishes — YUM!

Oh! Sauna…you made my heart skip a beat. Bread and Jam for Francis was something I was obsessed with as I child. I haven’t thought about it for years! I have a huge smile on my face now A lovely post. I am not GF, but I adore quinoa porridge. How about a scrambled eggs dish with a sweet potato hash/pancake. Sounds delicious to me… I’m a dietitian over here in Australia, and I find your site incredibly valuable, refreshingly honest yet uplifting for my clients. Thank you Heidi xo

I thought it was a cute typo considering you are in Australia, and Shauna’s website is like a sauna, wrapping us all in her warmth, taking away the (perceived) stress of the GF world, and making us healthier (with every post).… much like a sauna.

at our house a fav is extra crispy gf waffles with creamy peanut butter and cinnamon on top, or a drizzle of honey. Or over medium eggs (dippy eggs my kids call them) with chorizo, avocados and warm corn tortillas. yum!

I’m always in a hurry, early in the morning. So I just warm some soy milk (I’m also lactose free) and make a rice-baby-food and some soy milk with coffee. When I have the chance to have a brunch, I eat my favorite gluten free bread, available at my local market (in Brussels), make some crepes (with rice flour and soy milk) with jam, etc etc etc! :p Gluten and lactose free never meant stop having my favorite dishes!

Now that the kids are grown and gone, breakfast is a lot simpler (!) — GF Chex (of some variety, usually Honey Nut), occasionally half a banana sliced on top, with 2% milk, and a big fat mug of Irish Breakfast Tea, with sugar and milk. If I ever get organized again, I’ll start making my homemade plain yogurt (which I dearly love) and use that on the dry cereal. (Before being diagnosed with celiac, I used to mix one of the plain homemade yogurts with the Kellogg Special K with Red Berries — one of my all-time favorite breakfasts.) Sigh… Then, I have my sole latte for the day, and enjoy every sip of it. I can’t tolerate soy, but I can tolerate dairy, thank goodness. Eggs are usually lunch or dinner — I still can’t face too much food in the morning…

We’re loving gluten free pancakes and waffles on weekends. Especially savory cornmeal pancakes with cheddar and jalapenos or buckwheat waffles drenched in maple syrup. Also adored are eggs of any style… Scrambled with veggies and cheese or frittatas are big time favorites. I also love a fruit parfait with yogurt and homemade gluten free granola!

Dear Shauna I read about this app for people with allergies and I thought that it would be great to share it here with people who needs some advice on going gluten free, well also for pros like yourself Anyways here is the website: http://cookitallergyfree.com/iphone_ipad_app/ Oh and I love eggs too! My favorite is the classic sunny side up with nice, thick, crispy bacon. I love to soak a piece of delicious gluten-free bread on the yolks and let it run through my fingers, mmm it reminds me of my mom’s kitchen.

I almost always eat leftovers for breakfast. Anything that was good for dinner last night is probably good for breakfast, too. Today it was chili and fritos. YUM!

Yesterday I made myself a bowl of GF oatmeal with banana (cooked into the oats for the last minute or so), toasted pecans, and a good dollop of coconut milk (I’m dairy free also). That was probably the best breakfast I’ve ever had in my life.

GF granola from the grocery store is ridiculously overpriced, but homemade granola is correspondingly ridiculously easy to make.

A banana with peanut butter is fab. It’s just like the sandwich but without the bread. Turns out the bread doesn’t add much.

When blueberries are in season I’ll go through a pint or more per day. A cup of fresh blueberries with yogurt or kefir or coconut milk makes me smile.

If you prefer breakfasts of the dump-and-shovel type, there are lots of specialty cereals, but also lots of mainstream cereals that are gluten free. Corn Chex is a favorite.

Oh, I forgot: If you can’t eat oats, there are zillions of other options for hot cereal. For instance: polenta! Southerners will of course sing the praises of cheesy grits. Bob’s Red Mill makes a Mighty Tasty GF hot cereal blend, or you can coarsely grind brown rice in a coffee grinder and cook that the same way.

I’m a big fan of hot cereal — usually equal parts steel cut oats and buckwheat groats, maybe amaranth… I, too, generally have relaxed mornings but hot cereal is my first choice even if it’s going to be a hectic morning — just soak it overnight and it cooks up in just a few minutes. I avoid dairy, so generally use one part hemp milk and two parts water. Stir in some frozen berries or home-canned fruit and a couple tablespoons of nut butter… hard to beat. Right now I’m on a blueberries and cashew butter kick, but apricot and cashew is another favorite, pears, cherries, almonds, seeds… it never gets old.

Shauna– I have been reading you for years and apologize that this is not really related to the post (although I could eat breakfast for every meal of the day). I remember when you and Danny were married and went on your honeymoon, it was to Italy. I am leaving in a week for 10 days in Rome, Florence and Venice and would love any advice or suggestions you could give for someone that must travel gluten free. I know that if you give something a recommendation, it is going to be good and something I can trust. Thank you –and thank you for the blog. It has really helped me in many ways over the years.

Leslie, I am from Venice. My sister told me that there is a store now that sells tons of gluten free things. In Venice you can’t go wrong with risotto, it is done perfectly there.

I know that you can find more and more grains in specialty stores nowadays. There are more and more people diagnosed with celiac now. But maybe you won’t be able to cook there. For breakfast it is going to be more difficult as we mainly eat pastries in the morning, but maybe you can find rice cereals and eat them in the hotels.

If you need the name of the store in Venice write to me at laura DOT tiramisu AT gmail DOT com

I hope you have a fantastic time in Venice. I will be there in about two weeks too!

Laura, Thank you so much! I will not be able to cook for myself but am looking forward to eating a lot of risotto. Breakfast is the meal that concerns me the most as I think most European countries (with the exception on the British Isles) don’t eat larger breakfasts and do have pastries or cereals instead. I will reach out at your e mail address. Thank you.

Like another poster, I’m fond of quinoa porridge — I make mine with apple juice/cider, raisins and walnuts, and I make it the night before to eat cold or microwave the in the morning. I make a big batch, to last a few days. I’ll do the same thing with pancakes — simple buckwheat pancakes cook up a lot faster that you’d imagine.… and they are delicious with almond butter.

Three of our favorites are my casseroles: Baked Eggs Nestled in Spicy Cheese Grits; Baked Eggs Nestled in Homemade Corned Beef Hash; Baked Oatmeal with Apples, Cherries & Walnuts. The baked oatmeal is so good my husband saves some for dessert and tops it with ice cream–home made French vanilla is a favorite. I love making huge dishes to take to brunch parties at work.

I teach and usually have to grab something quick on weekdays. Luna Protein Bars are now gluten free and I love them — cookie dough, mint-chocolate chip, and peanut butter chocolate are all yummy. I also love Erewohn’s Strawberry Crisp cereal.

This morning I had sausage gravy on left over mashed potatoes for breakfast. If I hadn’t had any leftover potato already sitting there in the frig I would have made some pancakes. My Grandfather always ate his sausage gravy on buckwheat pancakes, so I think of him every time I eat this. Instead of using a wheat flour roux to thicken the gravy the way my Grandmother did I’ve been using buckwheat flour. It has a stronger flavor so to take charge of that and make a really wonderful tasting sausage gravy I’ve been stirring in a few spoonfuls of sour cream right after I turn the heat off on the pan. YUM.

OOh I love radishes on buttered baguettes too! I used to slice mine thinly too, but then one day tried a coarse grade on the grater and loved the results. Beautiful pink-tinged shreds that mound oh so nicely on the bread. Salt, black pepper, and I am in heaven.

OK… contrary to my previous post this is one I haven’t tried yet. But I have a lovely bunch of radishes and a fresh loaf of chewy dense GF white bread. Hmmm… I believe this will be my breakfast tomorrow.

Oh, and Bread and Jam for Francis was my oldest daughters favorite book 30 years ago. She felt the same way about food as your little one, eggs were always preferred over jam. Older daughter had an adventurous palate and would willingly try anything, while her younger sister was a picky eater. Consider yourself lucky with Lu and enjoy the good eating!

I love protein in the morning too. I used to love eggs! Sadly, I can’t eat them any more. So, there are three protein rich breakfasts that I learned living in India (and one rice and veg one) that I rotate through in the mornings. Chila is the household favorite (spicy chickpea flour based pancake with embedded veggies — eaten with spiced yogurt, yum. Julie Sahni’s book can help if you’re interested). Kitcheri (a rice/mung dal mix with veggies. Neeta Saluja’s book can help with this one). Sprouted mung beans stir fried with veggies and spices. And the rice based one: Poha — oddly good with ketchup (Manjula’s Kitchen blog has a nice one).

I usually wake up at the last possible minute, so I make a batch of gluten free muffins on a Sunday evening and freeze them. I thaw one in the fridge overnight and eat it on my way to work. If I forget to thaw it, I just put it in the microwave once I clock in and eat at my desk. If I forget to do THAT, I have a Larabar stash.

Weekends are bit more leisurely. Belgian waffle quarters make a great bacon and egg sandwich. I also like to eat quinoa/rice/grits with peanut butter/coconut milk and cinnamon sugar/etc..

I usually eat cold cereal as a snack rather than as breakfast, but there’s always Chex and milk (if buying generic, read the label to make sure the “corn and rice squares” are GF).

Breakfast is always tricky for me, since I’m gf-dairy-free-vegan (mostly) and sugar doesn’t do so well with me. Lately, I’ve been doing apples with almond butter.…. or an apple cooked in a little water with cinnamon and ginger then topped with flaxseed meal, chopped almonds, walnuts, and raisins.…. or teff-sorghum pancakes from Lauren’s recipe on Celiac Teen.…. or carrot juice and hazelnuts.… or leftover rice with vegetables.

Breakfast for us is usually simple. When it’s just me I’m a sucker for fruit and a nut butter — peanut butter is my favorite but almond is tasty too. I do smoothies as well. Yogurt, fruit and maybe a vegetable. When the hubby is awake we usually have something egg focused as well. Tasty omelet with a goat cheese — whatever is in my fridge. And a side of tasty fruit! And then there are the days when we — well I — start out with ants on a log. I love my kindergarten foods! Breakfast is whatever we want really. This just happens to be what we have wanted recently. One of these days I’m going to make buckwheat pancakes and have them with rhubarb sauce! Perhaps tomorrow…

It’s all about breakfast — the best meal of the day! I rotate around granola with fruit and yummy thick yogurt, grilled kippers with cherry tomatoes on gluten-free bread (great omega-3), or a fried egg on toast, or indeed any kind of egg.…. and at the weekend it’s WAFFLES!!! (just like Lu) xxxx

My roommate is gluten-sensitive but breakfastivorous and I like to cook, so if I make a brunch or breakfast it is GF. Veggie-stuffed omelets, muffins using Shauna’s whole-grain muffin template, pancakes and turkey bacon, occasionally french toast–my egg skills don’t match my flour skills. I want to try some of the Indian breakfast foods described above. For the work week, she makes up a batch of Bob’s GF mixed grain hot cereal or oats and puts it in single-serving tubs. In the morning, she tosses on some dried fruit and nuts, and takes it to work.

A rice cake with Tofutti (dairy free) cream cheese, a bit of strawberry jam, and sliced fresh strawberries on top. Yummy. Chopped pancetta browned and crisped in a frying pan, then pour over that 2 eggs mixed like for scrambled, let bubble up in the hot pan, then flip. Left over brown rice with sauteed greens on top, then add a soft cooked or fried egg on top of that. The runny yolk with the greens & rice is really good. Left over brown rice with fruit on top, and a touch of honey.

I have asthma so dairy is not so good for me (I miss greek yogurt!) but we’ve settled into doing a smoothie every morning for breakfast — usually frozen mango and papaya or berries with brown rice protein powder and flax meal, rice, almond or coconut milk and maybe some coconut water (if we’re going tropical) and — the secret ingredient — a giant handful of spinach. Can never tell the spinach is in there and it thickens it up and nutritionally boosts it. If we need a little sweetener we use agave or dates and sometimes we put in raw cacao powder (with unsweetened chocolate almond mile — for a choco-berry smoothie). They can be endlessly tweaked (can you say mango-lime cardamom? pineapploe coconut? warm baked apple?) and always satisfy.

So breakfast is often quinoa — cooked in coconut milk or water with raisins and a dribble of maple syrup. Leftover pilaf from the day before. With fresh or frozen fruit. Or rice done in the same ways. We used to eat whole grain breads, eggs, oatmeal, yogurt, etc. Amazing how good the new breakfasts are!

Mmm, I love all the sharing that you’ve had recently! Breakfast is best! That’s what I think anyway. On weekdays, when I don’t have a ton of time I will often have a banana and some toast (Udi’s) with jam or a fried egg w/ oregano on top. (p.s. eggs should ALWAYS have oregano on them) or some yogurt with gf granola. And plenty of coffee! On weekends it’s another story! While I’ve been in grad school, my husband has perfected the art of eggs and potatoes for breakfast, often mixing in onion and a bit of bacon. Oh man– I could eat that every day of my life and be happy. A good omelette is always welcome. Or a chorizo scramble!! And an array of fresh fruit. If I could just get him to remember to cut the fruit in a different place from where he chopped the garlic– things would be perfect!

I love eggs a million different ways, for breakfast, lunch or dinner, but my go-to weekday breakfast for years has been toast with peanut butter and homemade jam and a cup or two of coffee on the side. When I found out I am gluten-intolerant, I just switched the bread component. Right now, I am loving your whole grain bread recipe. It toasts up nicely, and I like the fact that is has nutritious grains and not just rice and starch.

I absolutely love your waffle recipe!! smothered in butter and syrup! it is at the top of my recipe list because i can recreate it any and every time! for me with gf food that is saying a lot! i make the whole batch and keep them in the frig and pop them into the toaster when ever i feel like eating them. i have made them without the oat flour but they are better with the oat flour. thanks so much, teresa rieke

Lovely gluten-free breakfast post, Shauna. I love eggs and eat them every morning in omelets, fritatta’s, sunny side up, scrambled and hard-boiled! Gotta love ‘em and they’re an easy, quick n’ inexpensive way to enjoy a meal or snack anytime of the day. Happy Memorial Day Weekend. xo

Thanks for this! Our Naturopath has made us realize we need to take our 8yo GF and dairy free, to try to get an inflamed gut/horrible hay fever/behavior problems, addressed. I’m an avid cook, so I’m absorbing your blog like water Shauna, to figure out how to do this! And breakfast is a MAJOR issue for our daughter, she needs protein to hold her, so I’m grateful for this post. She shows some sensitivity to eggs and peanuts as well, so I can’t rely only on eggs. I poured through every post and am culling ideas and pasting them into a recipe file. THANK YOU!!!! PS Thanks to you I made successful GF pancakes last weekend out of your 70/30 10 flour/starch mix, and successful carrot cake (made into muffins for convenience) to sub for what she couldn’t eat at 2 parties. Not bad for a newb!

I know I already commented but this morning’s breakfast impels me to do so again. Leftover fajitas, heavy on the veggies, on corn tortillas make a lovely breakfast. They might be good for no-egg folks since they provide a non-omelet vehicle for a bunch of sauteed peppers and onions.

Some favorites in our home are: Cheese grits with fruit, rice pudding, hashbrowns with onions and cheese (yum!), gluten free waffles or pancakes, yogurt parfait with fruit and gluten free granola, bacon, ham steak, cereal…out of ideas at the moment but may think of more later. Look forward to reading others ideas!

I L-O-V-E this site. I stumbled on it 4 years ago looking to make my then 6 year old happy. What I found made us both happy. He got a muffin. I left with the feeling that I was not alone AND that there was still good food to be made. It sparked my creativity and fed my soul. Still does every time I come here. I do love Shauna’s stories. Thanks for all the breakfast ideas. GF oats soaked in buttermilk with cinnamon? Definitely something to try.

Hi Shauna, your reference to radishes reminded me of Nigel Slater’s recipe in yesterday’s Observer for glazed radishes. It’s from Riverford’s new cookery book (it started out as a veg home delivery service and is set to take over the world!) I bought radishes today to make it tomorrow yum! http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/may/29/nigel-slater-asparagus-radishes. They would probably taste great with scrambled eggs.…

Thank you for this reminder! Such perfect timing for me, as I had a difficult experience with breakfast this morning. I met up with some friends I hadn’t seen for a while, at a diner for brunch. I knew this place was known for their pancakes, so I packed grapes in my purse as defense and was confident in my ability to navigate thru gluten-free. … Two hours later I got sick anyways and realized that normal people make omelets with milk, not water. Avoided the gluten, only to be shot down by the dairy! *sigh* Moral of the story? Breakfast can be a wonderful, delicious experience — carried out at home!

I am also Diabetic so all things in moderation. For breakfast I always have some type of fruit first and then I have one of the Chex cereals, usually Rice and I put unsweetened Coconut milk on it. Some days I eat GF Steel Cut or Rolled Oats from Bob’s Red Mill. I add a packet of Stevia powder and Cinnamon for sweetening and spice and then a little unsweetened Coconut milk to soften. I do better if I “don’t” have much variety. I hope this helps someone.

My allergies are too many to go into! My latest favorite breakfast, all things permissible for me to eat, is a banana cut in half and in half again spread with sunflower seed butter, then a plop of cottage cheese or Greek yogurt, whatever berries I have on top of that, maybe a bit of nut free/gluten free granola. If I have this for lunch I sometimes top with a little squirt of chocolate sauce.

Otherwise I usually have leftovers for breakfast, probably most people would say it is lunch for breakfast.

I could eat eggs for every meal. So quick, easy, diverse and my kids love them too! Recently I found some Himalayan pink salt from Sustainable Sourcing https://secure.sustainablesourcing.com (gluten-free and made in their own facility) and it has made my egg dishes especially yummy. I know what’s for dinner tonight!

Breakfast is great, but I mostly love that your daughter is enjoying an old favourite! I LOVE(D) Francis so much — even now when I visit my mother and we’re making noise about it being bedtime, she will still say (35 years on) “Bedtime for Francis”! And, we still have “cake and Q-P-M” for birthdays at my house (from A Birthday for Francis — if you haven’t discovered that one yet)

I have an interesting relationship with eggs…however, FRANCIS in an entirely different situation. Like Natalie who commented, I LOVE her and all the Francis books. She is just so cute and fun! Thanks for bringing back a great memory for me.

In a cast iron frying pan, I toast raw cashews in ghee, cinnamon, and cardamom (or sometimes garam masala instead when I want a bit more spice). When they are browned, I add chopped apples, raisins and a little bit of water. Turn the heat down, cover and simmer till the apples are soft (stirring often to make sure they don’t stick). Add more water if needed. If you like it more sweet, add a sweetener of your choice (agave, honey, brown sugar). I’m a sugar free gal, so the simmer apples and raisins are enough for me! Very yummy alone or over yogurt, gf oatmeal or other grain.

Thanks for all the other great suggestions! And Shauna for spurring us one!

I was lost when I found out wheat and eggs were on the forbidden list less than a year ago. But there are so many alternatives when you stop focusing on what you can’t eat and start working what you can. GF oatmeal and cereal are great when there’s no time. Quinoa and fresh fruit dusted with cinnamon and served with steamed milk is divine and easy. And for the weekends, spiced and diced potatoes, with onions, bits of bacon, corn, green pepper, red pepper and black beans topped at the last min w/ cheese. Thanks so much for a chance to get new breakfast ideas.

I have recently started going gluten free and it has been hard and depressing and I have tear filled evenings not knowing how to prepare my meals and more importantly, how to NOT break the bank on groceries. I am the only one in my home, with my husband and three picky little girls, going gluten free so meal times are hard. Breakfast is the hardest because unlike lunch and dinner, there isn’t a lot of time to plan for exactly what you want. It’s all so very foreign to me, even all these foods people are mentioning that I have never heard of and have no idea where to even find them. The best breakfast thing I have found is a piece of toasted Udi bread buttered on both sides, then topped with mashed avocado and slices of cheddar, the popped into the oven to broil until cheese is bubbly. Thanks for all the other ideas, hope I can figure some of this stuff out!

Hello, I purchased your Gluten Free cookbook and tried your MultigrainWaffle recipe and there seems to be a problem with the dry to wet ingredient ratio. I had to add an additional 2.5 cups of milk to create a pliable consistency. Can you please tell me if there is an error in the recipe? Also, in the variation section you talk about buttermilk, potato starch and some other kind of flour as ingredients needed to make the waffles crisp yet none of these ingredients are in the recipe. Please advise. Thank you

WEll, just informed yesterday morning that I should begin to eliminate gluten form my diet…already no red meat, now gluten, which is basically in anything process or store bought it appears. I stumbled on to this site…many thanks.Lokks like Ill be following your ideas this morning…eggs here I come!YUM

After a weekend in hospital, severe stomach issues, gas, bloating, belching, lump in throat, etc…10 yeears of thyroid issues…took new thyroid med and now lump and belching at base of throat as well…on doctor prescribed meds I am evaluating perhaps a possible celiac’s. Years chiropractor told me I was sensitive to gluten and now wondering.

So, how on earth to know what I can eat? All of what is above seems foreign to me. Thought you can’t have waffles. Anyone have direction for a newbie to this foreign language of food. Not eating because I can’t swallow much. Any hope to heal?